I used to love this place. I remember when they were in Schaumberg on Higgins in what was called the "Hippodrome". Back then, it seemed like lots of beer flowed along with great Maxwell Polishes and tons of fries. A trip out to Hippo's was always a good time and meant great eats.
Then suddenly in the 90's they closed, and altogether disappeared from the food scene. Sometime after new millennia I heard that they quietly reopened only a few miles away and since that time I've wanted to go back and revisit.
Flash forward 15 years; now we have a tucked away Hippo’s in the back end of Elk Grove Village, that still has great polish sausages, but is absent of the beer and sports bar atmosphere, along with those trays full fries. Not that fries aren’t available, or that they taste bad, they just don’t seem so voluminous and wonderful. Time changes things.
I went and had a decent lunch, but the thing that struck me the most was that in addition to all the “larger than life itself” memories of how I remembered the Hippos of old, was that the prices seemed way out of whack for what I got.
The Polish is still pretty good, but the fries are frozen crinkle cuts, the Italian beef is kind of a “so-what, it’s alright”, and the gyros are pretty much your standard Kronos Central off the cone gyros.
Sometimes some memories aren’t worth trying to re-live, and need to remain simply memories.
Taste: 7
Experience: 6.5
Value: 5
Score: 6.2
Hippos is no more. Now it is a burger joint called "Under the Bun" or something. Havn't tried it yet. Looks pretty unappealing from the outside.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous..I concur..Under The Bun is light years better than Hippo's was
ReplyDeleteexcellent made to order burgers ..fresh cut fries, panko crumb onion rings..etc...
being that its the same bldg that Hippos was in Im not sure why it you would find the outside any less appealing than when Hippos was there
Maybe try walking in and eating something next time
Hippo's was great when it was in Schaumburg, great memories, from a trailer to a brick building. Great Chicago dogs and some silly price for a pitcher of beer, like a quarter. Living in AZ, sure miss the dogs and beefs, although some good Chicago style places showing up of late.
ReplyDeleteAre the owners of the hippos in Elk Grove the same as in the old location on Higgins road ?
ReplyDeleteThe Hippos in Elk Grove was owned by someone who worked at the one in Schaumburg. Not even close in taste. Most people who ate at the one in Elk grove noticed it was not even close and never went back...they closed.
ReplyDelete